As April wound to a close, some Tennessee businesses are reopening with limited capacity, while others are still awaiting the governor’s proclamations.

As the novel coronavirus COVID-19 crept slowly through Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee ordered non-essential businesses to temporarily close. That meant restaurants and most retail was affected for about a month as many residents stayed at their homes.

Lee recently announced that he will slowly reopen the economy, mostly by sector, starting with restaurants and retail. Executive Order 30 “allows Tennesseans and businesses to return to work in all industries where that can be safely accomplished by following health guidelines, while urging employers to allow or require remote work/telework if possible” for the time being.

For restaurants, this means they were allowed to reopen April 27 at half capacity. That doesn’t mean everyone did it, but some did.

SaBaiDee Cafe, Pad Thai Cafe, Oishiya Hibachi & Sushi, The Fish House & More, Simply Pure Sweets and Poke Fun, to name a few, decided to wait and only offer curbside service until further notice.

Champy’s, The Alley on Main, Nacho’s, Station Grill, Hernandez Mexican Deli, Metro Diner, Hank’s, Mayday Brewery and many others announced they would open at half capacity with staff wearing masks.

Gyms and exercise facilities were allowed to reopen May 1, with the requirements that they screen customers, keep windows and doors open, encourage social distancing and clean equipment between uses, among other recommendations.

Salons, barbershops, spas and other “close-contact” businesses may open with the governor’s blessing on May 6.
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New Businesses

With all that’s been going on, and all that hasn’t, there have been some stories of business activity popping up.

Chef Mitchell Murphree announced he is expanding his empire with Five’s Corner Spot. The deli and market will feature local items, meal kits, high-quality meat and fish, house baked goods and more.

“It will be featuring local farms, local products and some of our house-made favorites from over the years,” Murphree said.

Five’s Corner Spot, located at 1602 W. Northfield Blvd., Suite 512 (next to Five Senses), will be open Tuesday through Saturday.
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In the B.C. (Before Corona) era, the Rutherford County Industrial Development Board approved tax incentives for Costco to be built off New Salem Highway. At the September meeting, the IDB approved $992,569 in property tax incentives.

Well, now the bribe has come to fruition and the Murfreesboro Planning Commission approved plans in April for Costco to build on 18.6 acres on Beasie Road and Warrior Drive.

The project is set to bring 225 jobs at an average annual wage of $49,920 to $60,000, along with affordable laundry detergent and caskets.
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Don Ferguson’s new recording studio is called One Less Limb—because “it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to record,” says Ferguson, who opened the studio earlier this year.

He and his wife Misty moved to Murfreesboro in 2018 after visiting a few times and falling in love with the area.

“We are a small studio looking for artists that play guitar, bass, vocals, keys. At the moment we do not have the space to entertain drums or things like that. Being a drummer myself, that hurts to say no drum tracking,” he said. “We look forward to building our business here in the ’Boro.”

If you’re interested in playing or learning more, email Ferguson at df6664@yahoo.com.
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New Restaurants

A new sign reading “Fresh Bite” has been hung on the former home of Smashburger and Buff’s on Thompson Lane. According to its Facebook page, Fresh Bite is a breakfast, brunch and dinner restaurant.

Casa Adobe Express is opening in the strip mall behind the Speedway on Warrior Drive.

Los Barriles is the Mexican restaurant going in the former Pizza Inn on Salem.

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Brews News

The Hop Springs family introduced two new quarantine-inspired beers: the “Social Distance” Tennessee ale and an Altbier they’ve coined “Hospitality Strong.” You can pick up either brew at the beer park.

For “Social Distance,” Hop Springs Brewmaster Derrick Morse reached out to Batey Farms’ Brandon Whitt to source some of their Murfreesboro-grown malt.

The altbier is dedicated to funding additional care packages for hospitality workers and their families who are still battling the effects of unemployment after the shutdown caused by COVID-19.

Hop Springs will donate a portion of the proceeds from this beer in hopes of a swift recovery for all who are affected by this in some way.

With the beer’s ingredients sourced locally, Morse said, “We called this beer a Tennessee Amber Ale. It truly is of Tennesseans, for Tennesseans, by Tennesseans. The benefit is, we’re going to be able to put care packages back into Tennesseans’ hands.”

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More News

Ascension Saint Thomas announced plans to build a neighborhood hospital in the Blackman community. The estimated cost will be $24.6 million, and Saint Thomas officials expect the hospital to open by early 2022 in the mixed-use residential and commercial Westlawn development on Veterans Parkway and Shores Road on the west side of Murfreesboro, according to a press release from the nonprofit hospital.

Named Saint Thomas Rutherford at Westlawn, the facility will include eight private inpatient medical beds, an emergency department with eight treatment rooms, diagnostic imaging and laboratory services.
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Closings Corner

Just months after an ownership change, Mellow Mushroom on South Rutherford Boulevard closed for good.

Freebirds World Burrito closed its Murfreesboro location in early April.

Chef Alex Belew has announced that Dallas and Jane will close. Belew has teamed up with Monte Silva and Christopher Thomas to form Made South Hospitality. They will start with a restaurant in Franklin and will continue producing Made South’s events.